Remote Distances
by callalily32
Summary: Untouchable. In their own way, that's what they were to each other. A drabble collection following Yuuki and Kaname's relationship in-between cannon events and how the gap between them is bridged. Possible spoilers to manga chapter 67.
1. Chapter 1

A collection of semi-related drabbles following Yuuki and Kaname's relationship.

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight and am making no profit from this story.

This particular drabble takes place before Kaien and Kaname open the academy. My one-shot Importance could be considered a prequel to this series, mainly because it takes place earlier chronologically, but it is not necessary to read it beforehand.

Enjoy!

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Kaname's gaze lifted from the paper in front of him to the door as it creaked open and Yuuki scrambled into the room, shutting the door as quietly as possible behind her.

Showing the hint of a smile, Kaname attempted not to laugh at her antics.

"Kaname-sama!" Yuuki whispered.

"Yuuki." Kaname softly replied, setting the paper aside. "I thought you were asleep."

Yuuki's face scrunched up as she tried to find the right words to explain why she was wearing pajamas and still awake past midnight. She huffed, "The Chairman didn't tell me you were coming tonight." She tried to keep the dejection out of her voice as her eyes roved around the room. "I woke up when I heard you talking and I couldn't fall back asleep without talking to you," her eyes became wider and pleading, "but I don't want the Chairman to know I'm still awake!"

Kaname recalled Kaien leaving to retrieve more paperwork just moments before, "Which is why you waited to sneak down the stairs until he left."

Her eyes brightened, "Exactly!"

"Well, he should be back soon, but I'm sure you have a few minutes."

Yuuki's face broke into a huge smile before she rushed to Kaname's side. Giving him a quick hug by flinging her arms around his neck, she plopped down on the chair next to him, tucking her legs under her and looking at him expectantly.

"Are you talking about the school again?"

Kaname nodded. He and Kaien had been frequently meeting to plan not only how the school would run, but how to introduce the idea of coexistence to vampire society.

"Yes. I'm sure you can see that there's quite a lot of paperwork involved." he said, gesturing to the neatly stacked piles on the table beside him, as well as the not-quite-as-neatly stacked piles on the Chairman's desk.

Yuuki giggled at the difference before sobering.

"Kaname-sama," she began, playing with the hem on her pajamas, "will I get to see you more often when the school starts? The Chairman says I'll be going there eventually too, and well, I just wasn't sure, and . . ." she trailed off, waiting for his answer.

_You will if I can ever escape the nobles that will be clinging to me at every moment._ Kaname refrained from sighing at the thought. _Now, how to explain this._

"You won't see me less, Yuuki."

She noticed his omission. "But not more, either?"

He delayed responding for a moment. "You will probably see more more _often_, Yuuki, but not for quite as long when you do." He gauged her reaction before continuing, "There will be many other vampires there, and I will have duties to them as well. Do you understand?"

He could tell she was reluctant to respond, and more reluctant to give credence to the inevitable change coming in their relationship.

"Yes, Kaname-sama." She met his eyes and he was again reminded that this had been the _easy_ part. Here, with the Chairman, she was young, sheltered, protected. The school, although necessary for his plans, threw so many unknowns into the future-- and her life. If only she could stay hidden like this forever. Hidden from humans, from vampires, from speculation about their relationship. Too bad the future was inevitably more complicated.

"Kaname-sama?" she broke his wandering thoughts. "How long until the school opens?" she asked with slight hesitation.

"A month, Yuuki."

"Will you be here more often then?" her eyes glimmered with hope, and his heart clenched at the sight of it.

"Yes, I will be here often for the next month."

She sat silently for a while, and he left her to her thoughts until she broke into his own again.

"Kaname-sama?"

He smiled, "Yes, Yuuki?"

She glanced away from him and took a deep breath. "Promise that you will not come again without talking to me before you leave?"

"I promise, Yuuki."

She flashed him a smile with a tinge of sadness. "Thank you, Kaname-sama." __

She seemed to understand the brevity of the time they had left as well. _When did you start to grow up, Yuuki?_

"Kaname-sama, can I stay until the Chairman comes back?"

If he were anyone else, she probably would have added a "pretty please?" at the end, but Yuuki likely already knew he could deny her nothing.

"Yes, Yuuki, you can stay."

"Thank you! Kaname-sama!" She settled into her chair more comfortably before beginning her inquisition, "Can you tell me about the school? What does it look like? What classes do you take? How many students are there going to be?"

Kaname satisfied Yuuki's curiosity until she drifted off to sleep, which was incidentally around the same time Kaien returned.

"I found it, Kaname-kun." Kaien announced as he entered the room, holding aloft a slightly-crumpled sheet of paper. "It was between two folders in the back of my desk." He laughed self-consciously, "I must have stashed it there for safe-keeping . . ." He trailed off as he spotted Yuuki asleep, sprawled on the chair.

"Hm. So she found you after all."

"Yes."

Kaien opened his mouth as if he were about to say something before closing it again.

"What is it, Kaien?"

"Forgive me, Kaname-kun," his face one of disapproval, "but you can't let her continue this when we start the academy."

"I know." He sighed and rested his face wearily against his hand. "We discussed it earlier."

"You did?"

"To an extent."

"And does she understand?"

"Somewhat." He paused, "Enough for now, anyway."

Kaien studied him for a moment before turning his gaze to Yuuki. "I hope so, Kaname. I truly hope so."

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I can't promise that this will be updated often, and I'm planning on most of the chapters being rather short, and mainly from Kaname's point of view (that's the plan, anyway!). I'm not sure how far into the series I will take this; I really just want to experiment with giving short but cohesive glimpses of their lives.

Thanks for reading & your support! I'd love a review if you have the time!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight

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It had been fourteen days._ Fourteen days_ since she had last seen Kaname.

Yuuki thrust her elbows up on the windowsill with a pout. Where _was_ he? Didn't he know there was only one week left before the academy opened? Before things would become... _different _than they were now. She sighed heavily, leaving a mist of condensation on the window and watching it slowly disappear in front of the blackness of the night sky.

She waited for him every day... and he still had not come since the night she snuck into the Chairman's office.

Waiting was so _boring. _

"Yuuki."

She jumped at Zero's voice and threw a smile on her face, trying not to look like he had caught her looking for Kaname... again. The flash of disgust on his face told her she had not quite succeeded.

"Yes, Zero?" Her voice sounded a little higher than usual.

He stood still in the doorway and stared at her for a moment before responding.

"The Chairman says dinner's ready."

"Okay!" She started to get up, and paused when Zero scowled and spoke with malice, his hand unintentionally holding the side of his neck.

"Stop waiting for that monster. You shouldn't be near him anyway,"

Yuuki stood frozen for a moment after Zero stalked down the hall, her worried eyes watching the empty doorway. Zero _always_ said Kaname was a monster, so this time shouldn't bother her more than any other, but today she felt alone and rejected by her favorite Kaname-sama, and the nagging feeling that _maybe Zero is right_ just wouldn't go away.

But still, Kaname had _saved_ her. He was different.

Kaname wasn't a monster any more than _she_ was.

_Maybe Kaname-sama is trying to make sure I don't see him as a monster by staying away more_. Furrowing her brows, Yuuki shook her head, trying to alleviate the feeling of abandonment. _No, Kaname-sama is Kaname-sama, and he wouldn't stay away because of something silly like that... And he's _not_ a monster... Right?_

More confused than ever, Yuuki's eyes pricked, and she let a few tears fall before putting on another smile and running downstairs to dinner.

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Thanks so much for reading; Kaname will actually be present in the next one, I promise! Please leave a review!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight.

I want to thank the many people who have read and favorited or alterted, and the few that have reviewed ;) this story! Thanks for your support!

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They were everywhere. Pulling, scratching, biting. They made horrible, high-pitched noises that made her want to cover her ears, but her arms were stuck.

And then she couldn't see them, couldn't see anything, and it was black, but they still pulled her. Their long hands gripped her and pulled her down, down, down . . . she was reaching, grabbing for anything that could hold her up, but no one was there.

There was no one to help her and she couldn't escape them. Glimmers of hope and helping hands faded away.

And then she screamed.

Harsh, rough sobs racked her body upon waking. Tears streamed down her face, and within seconds she felt her help arrive.

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"Yuuki. _Yuuki, _calm down."

Kaname's sharp eyes took in more than the hallway gave light to. A few quick steps, and he was bent over Yuuki's small form, huddled under the covers.

It took no prompting at all for her to turn and cling tightly to him as he sat down. Kaname looked down at the top of her head- her face was buried in his chest- and took in her hair, matted and messy from sweat and tears. He moved to rest his back up against the wall to make himself more comfortable.

Kaname surprised himself when the circles he was rubbing on Yuuki's back seemed to calm her in a matter of minutes. His touch was rarely soothing, far from it, but this girl always did bring forth sides of him he thought disappeared long ago.

When he heard her scream, he and Kaien were ending their final meeting before the opening of the academy. He only caught a glimpse of Kaien's arched eyebrows before his mind went blank and he found himself seconds later opening Yuuki's door.

Kaname berated himself. He had to be more careful; this could not happen once the academy opened. The speculation and confusion would only draw more attention to Yuuki, which was the last thing he wanted to do.

Yuuki further relaxed against him, and he realized she was falling asleep again. A smile only she could bring forth played with the edge of his lips.

He shifted to lay her back under the covers when her voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"Kaname-sama?" Her voice was groggy with sleep and her eyes fluttered open and then closed again. Her mouth curved into a sleepy smile.

"Kaname-sama." She said it with more confidence this time.

"Yes, Yuuki. I'm here. It was just a dream." Her eyes snapped open quickly, and a haunted look flashed across them. Her hand fumbled, searching for his own before he caught it.

"It was just a dream, Yuuki," he repeated. "Go back to sleep." If only the nobles could hear his soft and patient voice now. They would never believe he was using it to calm a young human girl.

His touch and words seemed to calm her- _again!_ his mind exclaimed- and her breathing evened out again.

"Kaname-sama," Yuuki said with a yawn as she snuggled into her pillow a final time, "can I help your nightmares go away sometime too?"

Kaname's breath caught in surprise. _Oh, Yuuki. You have no idea._

"Yes, Yuuki," he said, smiling at the irony, "you can."

"Mmm kay. . ." Her words were little more than a whisper as she drifted back to sleep.

_You already do, Yuuki. You already do._

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And another chapter! Sorry it's been a little while since I updated! Please leave a review if you feel so inclined!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight

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He _missed_ her.

Remembering the fact never ceased to send Kaname into a deeper bout of depression.

The school had successfully opened a few weeks ago. Since then, his life had revolved around the nobles- seeking his attention whenever possible- and the stack of paperwork on his desk that seemed to grow daily.

In reality, he didn't have the time to be missing anyone. Yet, somehow . . .

Kaname dropped his head into his hand and sighed. _And so it begins_. He knew being around nobles constantly would make his life a little more challenging, but he had inaccurately remembered how _needy_ they could be. Especially when there was only one of him, and many, many more of them. It was a surprise that they had left him to himself for so long today.

And he had not expected their neediness to make him miss her so much more.

Yuuki was always so _content- _so unlike the vampires surrounding him.

If Kaname had been a lesser vampire, he would have groaned aloud in frustration on his blood-red couch in the dark room. It had been nineteen days, six hours and forty-three minutes since _that _incident . . .

Since Yuuki caught him drinking Ruca's blood.

The day had been trying enough, and as much as he loved to see his little Yuuki, her stubborn independence had not arrived at the correct time. He gathered that much the second he spotted her asleep on the stairs, vulnerable to every vampire in the dorm. Including himself.

He had no idea what possessed him to allow her to continue her risky sleep (he blamed it on her content face, such a contrast to the last time he saw her during the night hours), but he allowed it all the same.

Thus, he had no one to blame but himself when the stress of the previous weeks overcame him, and Kaname turned to Ruka to avoid sinking his fangs into Yuuki's unprotected neck.

He could still picture her wide eyes, hear her soft gasps and the racing of her heart, and smell the tears that dashed to the floor as she ran out, stumbling over her own two feet.

She couldn't be blamed; as much as she was comfortable with the _idea_ of him being a vampire, she had hardly seen his vampiric side before. He should have expected her to wake up at precisely the wrong moment. A weary smirk grew on his lips. Yuuki's timing had never been something to brag about.

He sighed in resignation, leaning his head back. He didn't blame her avoidance of him, but still . . . _three weeks_?

Kaname cracked his eyes open and glared at the ceiling of the empty room.

Now, Zero had been around Yuuki more than usual, compounding the difficulty of trying to speak with her again.

Kaname propped his knee up as he laid down on the couch, a part of his mind registering the nobles coming closer, finally deciding to seek him out.

The other part of his mind nagged at him, telling him that things may never be the same with Yuuki again.

Another frustrated sigh broke the room's silence just before a knock on the door, followed by Aidou's voice floating through the heavy wood.

"Kaname-sama?"

His moment of peace had ended.

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There you have it; another chapter! I hope you all enjoyed it! Writing is helping tide me over until the next manga chapter . . . anyone else dying for Kaname to finally explain everything to Yuuki? It's taken him long enough!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight.

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Kaname paced down the darkened halls with Ichijou, their steps making the slightest dull tapping on the wooden floor, muffled behind the low mummer of voices.

Occasionally, Kaname stopped to speak with a noble or two before they moved on again. The nobles were quite enthusiastic about talking to him, which, he supposed, was not too unusual since lately he had not exactly been_ . . . social_.

Kaname mentally made a sharp, unamused laugh. These nobles had no idea of the effort that had gone into simply _tolerating _them the past month. His eyes narrowed at his own thoughts. He had a future to plan, people to set in place, societies to rebuild, and a bunch of simpering, young,_ naive_ vampires wasting his time.

He sighed imperceptibly. All Kaname wanted to do was banish them all from his presence until a certain young girl decided to stop avoiding him.

And there was the crux of the problem.

Yuuki was _still_ conspicuously absent from his life.

The problem was not necessarily that he had not seen her in a month; in fact, he had gone much longer in the past without seeing her.

No.

The problem was that never, in the entirety of her human existence, had Kaname ever felt that Yuuki was purposely avoiding him.

And with all of the experience of his long lifetime, he was still unsure how to handle her absence.

Kaname suspected that out of all the nobles only Ichijou could accurately guess at the reason behind his recent solitude and foul moods, but, thankfully, he was also tactful enough to not probe the subject. And that left Kaname back where he started, mindlessly offering a few words to another ignorant noble beside Ichijou and his ever-smiling face. Thankfully, the younger vampire could usually make up for Kaname's lack of enthusiasm.

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Somewhere along their route, Ichijou left to take care of some business, leaving Kaname alone with his thoughts on his way to see Kaien.

So absorbed was he, in fact, that he nearly managed to miss the object of his affliction shuffling towards him.

Kaname paused his step and tilted his head curiously at Yuuki, who stopped decidedly a few feet in front of him, and his heart tightened at the distance. There were no hugs, no running or shouts of enthusiasm, no _Kaname-sama's _to greet him.

Her eyes slowly, uncertainly flickered up to his.

"Hello, Kaname-senpai."

_Senpai?_ _That's new. _"Hello, Yuuki," he said, his tone much softer than he even intended it to sound.

Her eyes sparkled back, and her lips curled upwards before Yuuki turned and skittishly raced down the hallway to her room with a shy backwards glance before turning the corner.

Kaname gave the barest of smiles as he pushed open the door to Kaien's office.

It wasn't much. But it was a start.

At least she had finally dropped the ridiculous _sama_ from his name . . . but was _senpai_ much better? Now he just had to figure out if calling him_ senpai_ meant Yuuki was more comfortable with him . . . or less.

A sinking feeling told him it was most likely the latter.

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Another chapter! Thanks for reading and please review!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight.

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"Zero!" Yuuki raced around the corner and down the grassy field to the lake, "I've been looking for you allover!" she confronted him, hands on her hips and wearing slightly rumpled clothing from her impromptu sprint.

Unfortunately, Zero was studiously ignoring her display in favor of tossing a few pebbles at the geese meandering too close for comfort.

Huffing, Yuuki plopped herself down in the grass beside him.

"You know, a Prefect skipping class sets a bad example, don't you think?" she asked pointedly, her tone rhetorical.

A shrug was his only response.

Deciding to ignore him as well, Yuuki gazed out at the midday sun glittering off the water. Moving her hands back to support herself, she unintentionally brushed her fingers over Artemetis on her thigh. Somewhat reverently, she pulled the weapon out of its holder and inspected it.

She and Zero had been given their anti-vampire weapons only a week ago - they had not even been officially named Prefects to the classes yet. But since Yuuki had been gifted Artemetis, something, some secret feeling she had about it kept her fascinated by the silver rod. She felt Zero's eyes slide to her and her weapon. Yuuki hesitated a moment before speaking.

"Do you ever get the feeling that it knows you?" Yuuki asked quietly, pausing for a moment before continuing. "Like somehow it knows more about me than I know about myself, can read my innermost thoughts, and that . . . it's not just something I'll use to protect myself, but it will _help_ me protect myself_." _Her eyes lifted to Zero's, questioning the sanity of her secret. "Do you feel it too, Zero?"

Zero sat in the same unbroken silence he had held since Yuuki found him. But inside, he was a maelstrom of confusion. Naturally, anti-vampire weapons had a sort of consciousness one could tap into - with the correct background, which had more to do with heritage than actual knowledge.

Of course he felt a connection with his weapon; he was from a vampire-hunter family. He had learned at an early age about communication between a weapon and its wielder, as well as the dangers of it. Connecting to a weapon without this knowledge was risky at best. _But . . . How does Yuuki even feel the connection to begin with?_

He had always suspected that Yuuki was from a family of vampire-hunters; piecing together the puzzle of where she was found, and around whom, led to very few other conclusions in his mind. Her confided secret would support his theory, but in reality, he always hoped that Yuuki had not been involved with the hazardous business of his own lost family.

Zero set his jaw. It would be better to discourage her now than let her continue to play with fire by trying to communicate with Artemetis.

He prepared an authoritative tone, a disapproving glance, and a few well-spoken words before opening his mouth, but looking back at Yuuki's contemplative face wiped everything from his mind, and, to his chagrin, he simply managed to sound . . . angry. "You're making too much of it. Don't make stuff up because you want it to be real."

"But Zero-" she protested, her upset quickly showing. He tuned out her rant for a few minutes, waiting for her to calm down.

Unfortunately, she continued to tell him more about her weapon, describing in further detail things he already knew. _Ah,_ thought Zero_, that tactic isn't going to work._

"Yuuki," he finally cut her off and paused at length. "Intelligent weapons- weapons like ours- are dangerous. Don't let it mess with your mind - don't let it control you," he warned, his voice low.

Yuuki frowned, uncertain, "It doesn't feel like it would hurt me; wouldn't I be able to tell?"

Zero looked away from her, "Just trust me, Yuuki." _Nothing good can come out of her trying to communicate with Artemetis; something's wrong here - she shouldn't be able to at all._ "Block it out. It might be hard at first, but it'll get easier with time; eventually, you'll forget you're even doing it."

Brows furrowed, she turned her head sideways at him, "If you're sure, Zero."

His look told her he was.

"Then I will," she stated with finality, her trust implicit.

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Hello all! We don't really know much about the Bloody Rose or Artemetis, but we do know that there's more to them than meets the eye (thus the inspiration for this little piece). There's actually quite a few hints about them in the manga - and anime - if you look for them, especially in the chapters surrounding the fight against Rido, and I'm sure that eventually more mysteries surrounding them will be revealed.

As always, thank you so much for your support! I hope you enjoyed reading, & please leave a review!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight

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Yuuki brushed away the nudge from Artemetis in the back of her mind and gripped the weapon more tightly, continuing her trek through the trees. It wasn't like Artemetis exactly _said _anything to begin with; it was more like a feeling she got when she held it. The darn weapon was driving her to less distraction than it had previously, but distraction it still was.

Since her conversation with Zero, she had been adamant about following his advice and blocking out what she felt from the weapon. If Zero thought it was dangerous, she would trust his judgement; she did not want to admit that she could supposedly hear her anti-vampire weapon talking to anyone else anyway. If Zero's reaction was anything to go by, who knew what they would think?

Chilled by the nighttime breeze, Yuuki broke from her thoughts and continued her rounds, entering a building. When there was still no sign of the other Guardian, she frowned. Zero had disappeared again.

A frustrated sigh blew through her lips. Why did he keep doing this? _Stupid, stupid Zero. _Why_ do you keep leaving all the work for me?_

In the middle of a hallway, she stopped and swiveled around. No, she could not allow Zero to keep shirking his duties, and tonight seemed like a good of time as any to start enforcing that.

Storming through the building, intent on discovering Zero's whereabouts, Yuuki's angry mood was cut short by the sight of Kaname walking towards her. It was . . . odd seeing him alone. There was usually at least one other vampire with him. She always thought it was strange how they followed him everywhere like a shadow. They mutually slowed their pace before Kaname spoke first.

"Yuuki."

"Kaname-senpai." She acknowledged back, unsure of what else to say. It had been a while since they had last seen each other without anyone else around. Since that day . . . she never really knew how to act around him anymore. Trying to reconcile Kaname's true nature with Zero's animosity towards it and the Chairman's peaceful optimism was difficult, and instead of spending the time to sort it all out in her head, she had begun to push her confusion aside and accept things at face value. She would do her job as a Guardian and student for now, and figure the rest out later. She knew she cared about all three of them, and she also knew that despite her many hesitations, she still cared about Kaname in a different way than any of her other acquaintances . . . if the man she had idolized since childhood could be considered a simple acquaintance.

To her relief, Kaname merely continued walking at a slowed pace. When they were about to pass each other, Kaname placed a hand on her shoulder and looked to Artemetis, momentarily forgotten in her hand, before glancing at her upturned face.

"Take care of yourself, Yuuki."

The touch made a small part of her giddy inside, and Yuuki smiled at him. "I will Kaname-senpai."

He nodded once, the barest smile touching his lips, before continuing on his way.

Still focused on his presence, Yuuki turned to watch him go. _See, _a part of herself absently thought, remembering a childhood conversation,_ Kaname-senpai isn't a monster! Zero is definitely wrong. _She nearly snorted at the wayward thought that brought her mind's attention back to the other Guardian, Yuuki remembered her purpose and continued on her search for her absent partner.

She could contemplate her wary attitude towards Kaname-senpai another night.

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I love to know what you think of this story! Please review! :)


	8. Chapter 8

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Yuuki made her way through the abundant trees dotting the Academy campus to her new favorite place - the fountain.

There was something about the soothing water rushing over her senses - literally, when she got in it - that helped her relax, think, and sometimes, just forget.

It had absolutely nothing to do with a certain vampire whom she had seen there often.

But tonight . . . tonight she really hoped Kaname wouldn't show up. Her had slid up to cradle her neck. The bite was still fresh; she was sure any vampire outside tonight could smell it, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

Yes. It would be better if Kaname wasn't around while she pondered the emotional turmoil Zero had been causing in her recently.

Flicking her shoes off, Yuuki plopped her feet in the fountain, dangling her feet and letting the rippling water wash over her ankles.

_Ah_, she thought_, this is peace._

She closed her eyes and leaned back on her hands, trying to ease her jumbled thoughts. When she had first offered herself to Zero as his personal blood supply, she had not known it would cause such turmoil on her emotions. She could not help that every time Zero's fangs reached for her throat she felt fear swell up from the pit of her stomach, or that when the fear went away it was because she thought of Kaname. It did not help that Zero knew this as well, although she suspected he did not know the depths of her fear; if he did, Zero would never continue with their routine.

It took all her will not to run the other direction earlier today when Zero gave her _that_ look. The one that said he was hungry . . . and not for food. Once her skin was pierced it was not as bad; the waiting was always the worst part. Waiting . . . and waiting. Looking into his sometimes lavender sometimes blood red eyes and shuddering with the thought of his sharp fangs peeking out from behind his lips as they came closer and closer, until she could feel his panting breath on her neck and he hesitated in regret one last time and she felt the light scrape of his teeth and then . . . _pain _as they sunk into her fragile flesh and the odd sensation of blood flowing out of her and occasionally trickling down to her collarbone.

She shook her head quickly, trying to brush off the memory of Zero's fangs on her skin, and winced when the fresh bite marks stung in protest to the movement. She could never turn him away though. It was her duty to help him, her duty to keep him from biting someone else. Just as it was her duty to guard the secret of the night class.

Yuuki again hoped that Kaname would be absent from her place of retreat today. Lately she had felt ashamed of her actions with Zero. Kaname's knowing glances made her eyes dart away from his, and even though she missed their casual conversations, she started to avoid them more often than not. She often sensed that Kaname was _allowing_ her arrangement with Zero to continue; allowing him to stay in the day class, allowing his secret to stay secret . . . and allowing her to supply Zero with what he needed to stay sane. A part of her wondered why Kaname _allowed_ anything, especially when his concerned and occasionally frustrated eyes locked with hers. Another part wondered why Kaname was the one allowing in the first place.

Mentally gathering herself together, Yuuki focused on her second duty for the night: she still had another few hours to act as Guardian. Zero would be no help tonight; he always avoided all contact after drinking her blood, as if absence would erase the action.

She grudgingly pulled her feet out of the water and slipped her shoes back on. One last check to make sure her fresh wound was as hidden as possible, and she slipped off into the darkness of the night.

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Thanks to all my wonderful readers, I hope you enjoyed this segment!

I appreciate every review!


	9. Chapter 9

Thanks so much to everyone who has read, reviewed, and favorited this story! I can't tell you how much I appreciate it, and I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight.

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Her hands shook, vision blurry. Zero had taken too much this time.

She stumbled down the hall and tried to keep down whatever was left in her stomach. The lights felt too bright; the doors looked too tall. Yuuki clenched her eyes shut and tried to block out the memories as she paused her walk to dry heave.

They had been fighting; both of them angry. That happened more often than not of late, usually over something frivolous. The fact that she could not remotely remember the cause of the argument told her this was the case again today.

The Chairman was working late, and the two of them had been in the kitchen about to throw something together for dinner, but their heated fight had been hurtful and escalated out of control. In her dizzy state, she could not remember most of what Zero said, but knew she would never want to.

The fight had gone on back and forth for a while, but after one particular verbal barb Yuuki's foot slipped on the tiled floor when she stepped back in defense, and it had all gone downhill from there.

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Kaname paced briskly down the hallway parallel, aiming for Kaien's office. His breathing was just barely regulated, and his eyes shone brightly.

He had told himself he would not interfere. He had told himself he would let Yuuki abide by her own decisions, but that was quickly proving impossible as the girl frequently got herself into more trouble than he could have ever imagined when she was younger.

The last few weeks had him seriously rethinking Zero's importance in his plan.

Tonight had him nearly convinced of Zero's replaceability.

Kaname had stopped short of entering Cross's kitchen when he discovered the petty squabble he found Yuuki and Zero in. His presence was unlikely to resolve it, especially considering several of Zero's insults involved himself or the vampire race in general, but standing at the door quickly became tedious as the fight dragged on. The two fed off each other, and their animosity was sparked by the smallest of things. He was vaguely surprised that Yuuki was not in tears, but her determination mixed with the adrenaline from the argument allowed her to hold on to her anger. Impatient could rarely be used to describe Kaname, but at the time, he felt it may have been used aptly.

Hearing Yuuki fall followed by the scent of her blood had caught him off guard. He could practically feel the tension in the room and see Zero's eyes shine with red hunger.

He supposed Zero's halting, "I'm sorry" before Yuuki's sharp intake of breath, signaling that he was incapable of not succumbing to his vampiric side, was not so surprising, really.

Was it her humanity that made her so careless? He almost could not remember whether or not she was like this before.

When Zero pulled back Kaname could tell Yuuki had lost too much blood, but his own anger mingled with the strong scent of Yuuki's blood was tempting enough that he could not risk going into the room. _Fix it, Kiryuu, _his mind growled as he listened to their brief conversation, but Zero soon stumbled out the other kitchen door, ignoring Kaname's silent demand.

Kaname pushed himself away from the wall and walked determinedly towards Kaien's office. The ex-hunter should be more attentive to his young charges.

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"I'm sorry," he had whispered again as he pulled away. Taking in her glazed eyes and pale face, Zero's own eyes widened.

"Yuuki? Yuuki, are you okay?" Concerned, he reached to grab her shoulder, but a hand stopped him.

"Stop," she demanded weakly. "I'm fine."

Not dissuaded, Zero continued reaching for her. "Idiot. You are not fine." He held out his hand to help her up.

Glaring at the offer, Yuuki refused to be consoled. "Zero, just go."

His glare told her what he thought of that idea, but the fight was too fresh in her memory for him to be forgiven yet. She needed him to go.

Guilt was biting at him; she could see it more every second. It was always like that after he drank from her. Even if she asked him to stay, he would not be able to. And this time, she was still to angry to want him to.

Heaving a long-suffering sigh, Zero began, "Yuuki-" only to be cut off.

"Leave." She demanded sharply, pouring all her frustration, all her lingering anger, all her hurt into the word. Her eyes hardened to match her voice, and the result had him doing exactly what she wanted . . . or at least, what she thought she wanted.

In her staggering state currently in the hallway, she was not so sure that making the only person who knew about the incident leave was a smart idea.

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Kaien glanced up at Kaname's entrance. "Kaname-kun! What brings you here so late?"

"Kiryuu." At Kaien's frown, he continued, "Yuuki is down the next hall. She's weak from blood loss, she won't be able to get to her room on her own."

Instantly understanding, Kaien paused, "You will not go to her?

"Not this time."

Kaien took in Kaname's flashing red eyes and nodded curtly before searching Yuuki out.

He quickly found her in the hall. She had stumbled to her knees, one hand was braced against the wall in support.

He knelt beside her and gently encouraged her to rise with him. She clung to him, and when her bright eyes turned to him he felt her sadness and despair like his own. "Come, Yuuki, let's get back to your room." She lowered her eyes and clung to him for all she was worth until she was warmly wrapped under her bed covers.

"Goodnight, Yuuki." Kaien whispered before turning to the door.

"Chairman?" Yuuki's eyes cracked open sleepily. "It's not his fault."

Kaien glanced back at her and replied softly, "I know, Yuuki . . . I know."

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"Kiryuu must be separated from Yuuki," were the first words out of Kaname's mouth when Kaien arrived back in his office.

Kaien frowned. "You know that isn't feasible. I need to keep a close eye on them both, and Yuuki is determined not to let Zero go to the night class- not that the boy would accept that anyway."

"He cannot continue this," Kaname bit out.

Unsurprised by Kanmae's ill humor, Kaien stood and deftly pulled a few blood tablets out of his top drawer before dropping them into a glass of water. Handing it to Kaname, he questioned, "Are you revoking Yuuki's right to offer him blood? You know he would hardly last a week without it; what else can we do, Kaname?"

The vampire in question tipped the soothing drink into his mouth. It had been too long since he had sustenance. The flavored drink was not as appeasing as real blood, but he had gotten used to depriving himself of that long ago. "I will think of something," he paused and sighed a heavy breath.

Nothing could not be solved tonight while his anger still burned fresh.

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The next morning, while the rest of the night class slept, Kaname reclined awake, pondering, in his desk chair. He would remedy this. Zero would no longer need Yuuki's blood.

Kaname eyed the veins in his wrist dispassionately. If the situation continued to deteriorate, he had a solution. A distasteful solution, but an effective one nonetheless.

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	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight.

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Zero had been acting strange. Well, strange was pretty normal for Zero, but he was being _stranger_ than normal.

"Ugh!" Yuuki frustratedly grasped her head in her hands, sitting on a bench in the cool night air. It just made no sense! He hadn't asked for her blood in weeks, and hadn't had the Chairman's as far as she could tell . . . but it didn't seem like it he needed it either. And that wasn't even the strange part.

Every time they spoke, he kept it as short as possible, hardly looking her in the eye. At first she just thought he was feeling guilty again, but after she tried comforting him once with, "Zero, it's okay. It wasn't your fault," his returning look that clearly said _don't ever mention it again_ shut her up for good.

After a week of that, she noticed that Zero was ignoring others too - everyone, actually.

His conversations with the Chairman were even shorter and more terse than usual.

He came to class, but hardly said more than one word.

He never spoke to a vampire and made larger efforts than before to prevent that from happening.

She once saw him turn down a hall with Kaname standing at the end, only to abruptly jerk around and hurriedly pace back the way he came.

Something was wrong, but no one would tell her what it was - not even Kaname or the Chairman, both of whom she suspected knew.

The bench she was sitting on outside suddenly dipped.

Yuuki's head jerked up, only for her eyes to widen in surprise at her roommate.

"Yori-chan? What are you doing out here?" she asked, incredulous.

Yori gave her a small smile. "You've seemed a little down lately . . . but today you hardly smiled once. I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

_Oh, Yori . . . how good you are to me. But I'm a Guardian, it's nighttime, and I can't let my carelessness give away our school's secret._ "But, Yori, you aren't supposed to be out here-"

"I wouldn't be a real friend if I didn't break the rules for you every once in a while, ne?" Yori's light tone shot back at her, sliding down the bench to sit side by side with Yuuki. "Now, tell me what's wrong," she demanded in a firm voice.

Yuuki felt tears fill her eyes at her friend's quick answer. _Maybe it'll be okay just this once._ "I'm sorry I've been so distant, Yori." She thought of every rebuffed effort when she offered her blood to Zero. Every time he brushed past her with a curt one-syllable answer. Voice watery, she continued, "it's just that . . . there's something wrong with Zero. He won't talk to me, or anyone really. Every time I see him he seems so _angry_. I just don't know what to do anymore." Tears of frustration and hurt fell from her eyes. "I guess I'm taking it out on everyone else. I'm so sorry," she trailed off quietly.

"Oh, Yuuki, I'm sorry Zero's been so horrible to you," Yori's voice filled with sympathy as she pulled her crying friend towards her. "Don't worry about _me_; I was worried about _you_."

Yuuki tried to reply, but her voice kept getting caught in her throat. So she leaned into Yori, who let her sob into her shoulder for a moment and rubbed circles on her back. The night was calm and cool, the only sound being the barely-heard gentle rhythm of the fountain and Yuuki's soft hiccuping.

Yuuki pulled back when her breathing evened out and sighed. "Sorry," she breathed, glancing at Yori.

"There's nothing to be sorry for," she replied, then added sardonically, "do remember though, that he _is_ just a boy."

A wide smile broke out on Yuuki's face as she giggled with her best friend. Her heart warmed that Yori would give up her sleep and risk punishment to be out here with her. _Thank you, Yori._

Yori's laughter abruptly stopped and Yuuki turned to see what she was staring at, only to find Kaname walking towards them. Eyes widening, Yuuki quickly scrubbed the tears from her face with her sleeve, but she knew her red-rimmed eyes and splotchy face would give away her current mood. Her stomach tightened in anxiety. Yori wasn't supposed to be here, and Yuuki was supposed to be doing her job, not chatting in the garden. She opened her mouth, but her voice failed her, leaving her gaping in Kaname's direction.

"Kaname-senpai," Yori greeted.

"Yori," Kaname replied as he came to a stop next to them, his voice floating above their heads, "Yuuki."

_Too close_, thought Yuuki.

"Yuuki," he began again, "isn't it a little late for Yori to be out?"

Ashamed, although Kaname's tone hardly suggested he was upset, Yuuki dropped her eyes closed.

"Yes, Kaname-senpai, I'm sorry, it was my fault that-"

"Actually, Kaname-senpai," Yori interrupted, standing, "Yuuki-chan asked me to go back, but I begged her to let me stay. I needed someone to talk to, and no one else is up at this hour. I was just about to leave, actually. I'm sorry, Kaname-senpai," she clasped her hands and bowed briefly, "it won't happen again."

Yuuki could see Kaname look from her to Yori, taking in her slightly-swollen eyes and downcast air, mingled with shock from Yori's quick cover, and comparing it to Yori's calm attitude. Even without his vampiric senses Kaname would have been able to spot the lie.

She looked up to Kaname's face and was again shocked to see the barest hint of a smile.

"Is that so?" he asked.

"Yes," Yori answered firmly.

"I see. In that case, why don't you both get some sleep." Kaname turned from Yori and leaned down, grasping Yuuki's hand to help her up. "Yori, would you mind taking Yuuki back for the night?"

"But-"

"A Guardian needs her rest too." Kaname continued softly, cutting off Yuuki's protest. She looked up at him, catching the hidden meaning. _I'll watch the night class for you._

"Yes, Kaname-senpai," Yori responded, hooking her hand through Yuuki's free arm and pulling her off. Yuuki allowed her, thankful for the meaning of the rest of Kaname's parting gaze: _It'll be our secret. _

"Thank you, Kaname-senpai," Yuuki managed to call back, meeting the vampire's gaze before turning back to the path.

The two girls turned a bend before Yori whispered conspiratorially in her ear, "You know, Kaname-senpai can be quite charming when he needs to be."

Yuuki's face turned scarlet red. They were still not too far from Kaname, and he had excellent hearing, as she'd learned at a young age.

"Yori!" she quietly rebuked.

"Oh, come on, Yuuki," she giggled back, "I know you were thinking it too."

Speechless, Yuuki allowed Yori to lead her the rest of the way inside and close the sun dorm door behind them with a _click._

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I love these two girls! Their friendship is so precious; I wish there were more stories with Yori in them!

Thanks for reading, please leave a review if you feel so inclined!


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight

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The breezy evening wind blew steadily, causing leaves to follow her footsteps along the path and her hair to become a tangled mess. A glance at her watch quickened her pace as she rushed not to be late to class. Finally reaching the building, she shut the door behind her and silently headed towards her classroom, taking a slight shortcut.

_Almost there_. With two short hallways left, she turned a sharp corner only to take a step back behind the wall. Yori stood in indecision. Zero and Kaname-senpai were talking in the middle of the hall - but by the looks of it, it was more of a heated argument than a discussion. _I really need to get to class_, she worried, uneasily shifting her weight back and forth on her feet.

Yori crept closer to the corner of the wall and peered between the leaves of the tall potted plant placed there. She could only see Zero's face, which did not bode well for her current situation - she didn't think she had ever seen him so _angry_.

Clutching her books tighter in frustration, Yori decided to wait out their argument. Although she couldn't hear much of what they said, her puzzlement grew with the occasional word that drifted her way. It didn't surprise her that her best friend's name was mentioned as well. She knew of the tension between Zero and Kaname regarding Yuuki, but wasn't sure what could have sparked _this_ level of animosity.

"I can control it!" Yori's drifting eyes snapped back to Zero's face at his assertion, her eyebrows crinkling in confusion. Catching his mistake, the rest of Zero's words returned to the low murmur from before, although they seemed just as terse. Yori watched as Zero abruptly turned and continued down the hallway away from her, ignoring whatever Kaname's last words were.

_Strange_, she thought.

Yori paused for a moment, holding her breath and clearing her face of the confusion the argument caused, and burst around the corner as though she had just arrived. She slightly stumbled over her feet when she looked up to see Kaname closer than she was anticipating and staring right at her as though he had known she was there all along. But he couldn't have . . . could he?

"Kaname-senpai," she acknowledged, giving an unconvincing smile.

"Yori," he nodded back at her.

"Um, well, I'm late for class, senpai," Yori stuttered out, fidgeting under his unnerving gaze. "Goodbye!" she called weakly over her shoulder as she turned away.

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Just a short little Yori vignette for you! I hope you enjoyed it!


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight.

Thanks for all your encouraging reviews! Enjoy!

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Waking up with a start, Yuuki glanced hurriedly around the empty room. Chest heaving, she threw the covers off her sweaty form and was glad Yori was at home for the week. Shakily, she used her sleeve to erase the traces of tears fallen in her sleep and hastily flicked her bedside lamp on.

It was that dream again. Just like when she was younger - one of vampires and helplessness and fear.

She had only had it a few times in her life. The Chairman did not know about it, and neither did Zero. Kaname had been there once - the first time it happened - but even he did not know the content of her dream.

And truthfully, when she woke up, neither did she. Only a feeling of ominousness remained with a few terrifying flashes of vampires closing in around her and their greedy eyes pinning her down.

This time was different though.

While she knew the beginning of the dream remained the same, at the end it morphed into something completely different. The end she remembered vividly.

Yuuki shuddered, alone in the dimly lit room.

Zero had been there. Suddenly all the vampires disappeared and Zero had been there, stalking towards her with glowing red eyes. And still she could not move. She could not move as he came closer and closer with his red, red eyes staring at her hungrily.

The next thing she knew, his fangs sunk into the skin of her neck. Her mouth opened with a protesting silent cry, because no sound would come out. She could feel the blood flowing out of her, and she knew it was not like all the other times. This time he would not stop.

This theory proved correct as he bit down harder. She winced and managed to whisper, "Z- Zero?"

Breaths coming faster, she put more strength into her tone.

"Zero? Zero, stop! Y- You don't want to do this, Zero."

In her dream state, the words sounded far away, and she knew he could not hear them.

"Please . . . Please stop." She whispered.

Even now, wide awake, she shakily pressed her hand to her neck to stop the pain and flowing blood - though it was smooth and unmarred when she did so.

Throwing off her covers, Yuuki quickly changed and grabbed the nearest coat on her way out the door. Silently creeping through the halls, Yuuki made her way towards the fountain - the place she always went to think. _This is becoming quite the routine for me, _she thought mildly.

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I appreciate your thoughts! Please leave a review!


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight.

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Standing alone in the hall window, Kaname smirked at Yuuki's attempts to rid herself of her vampire escorts. It seemed her aversion to their constant presence mirrored his own. He could see her talking frantically and waving wildly in another attempt to make them leave.

Yes, asking her to be his lover, if only in name, had been a good idea. It had become harder than usual to spend time clandestinely together - why not make it open instead?

Kaname's heart wrenched at the well of secrets within him, and at Yuuki's constant belief that she was beneath his notice. _If only you knew, Yuuki._ Her irrational belief had still not changed with their new "relationship" as he'd hoped, but with a little more time he was sure he could convince her. Stubborn girl.

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Yuuki leaned against the wall with a sigh of relief. She had finally shrugged off her vampire "guard" - if only for the moment - and it gave her time to think. The implications of Aidou's warning haunted her.

In her heart, she had always known there was something behind Kaname's sudden insistence that she be his lover, his girlfriend, his . . . well, his _anything_. It made no sense otherwise. He was a vampire, and a pureblood one at that, why settle for a human girl? Why her? Yuuki knew all her imperfections: her occasional attempts to ignore problems rather than solve them, her klutziness, the silly way she acted when trying to avoid something awkward, those strange dreams that still haunted her at night, and her ability to figuratively place her foot in her mouth - often. And Kaname probably knew these almost as well as she did. So _why_?

What Aidou said made sense: Kaname was trying to protect her. But from what? And again . . . why?

How was he planning on letting her down when it was all over? _Sorry, Yuuki, I had to pretend to return your love to keep you safe; I never truly loved you. I hope you can forgive my deception._ Her fist clenched and she hit the wall behind her in irritation. She was so tired of secrets, of double-meanings, and of these intricate _games_ vampires seemed to play. _What kind of sick, twisted game is Kaname playing that includes me pretending to be his lover? Why won't he tell me?_

Yuuki slid to the ground, staring blankly at the opposite wall. She wasn't sure how much time passed before a noise made her glance up to find Zero rounding the corner. He stopped short a moment, surprised to see her.

"Where's your little band of followers? I'm surprised Kuran let you out of their sight," he said bitterly. Zero had been studiously not talking to her since the news of her relationship with Kaname became public knowledge.

"Zero . . ." she began, slowly standing. He started to walk past her, but paused.

"Actually," he began again, words still as bitter as before, "I'm more surprised to find you here. What are you doing away from your _lover_?" he spat the word out. "Shouldn't you be busy planning the rest of your_ short, human_ life with him?" His next words carried the threat of a vampire hunter as his shoulders tensed and his tone grew dark, "Unless, of course, he's going to change you."

Yuuki's breath caught in her throat for a moment. What if Kaname did . . . but no; in light what Aidou said, Kaname would never take his game that far. Even if in her innermost heart, she desperately wanted him to. "Zero, it's not like that!" she protested anxiously.

Zero's eyes narrowed and he spun around at her, furious. "Then tell me, Yuuki, what _is_ it like?"

Eyes wide at his anger, Yuuki grasped for words. "It- You don't- I can't-" Pausing, Yuuki closed her eyes and let out a breath. "It's Kaname-senpai, Zero. _Kaname-senpai!_ He won't want me around for much longer." She hated her voice for wobbling and her eyes for filling with unshed tears. "I feel like something is ending, deep down inside - I can't really explain it, just, please," she begged, "let me enjoy this while it lasts." _Let me have something to hold on to, Zero! I need these memories before I resign to the reality that Kaname-senpai won't pretend with me forever._

Zero's disbelief was evident.

"You should stay away from Kaname, Yuuki," he bit out before storming away.

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Yay for Yuuki and Kaname getting closer! . . . well, slowly getting closer, but that's the point, isn't it? ;)

I've actually had parts of this written for a long time, but had to tie it all together. It's one of my favorites so far. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing! (and please leave a review to let me know what you think!)


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight.

This one goes back in time a little bit... enjoy!

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Kaname was immediately suspicious the first time ex-vampire hunter Cross Kaien made his way across the Kuran threshold.

Hakura and Juri welcomed the man with open arms, and the three settled down in the side room where Kaien was once again privileged with family secrets from the two purebloods. Their talks of peace and dreams for the future always seemed a little too trite to Kaname.

After an extended period of time, Cross was surprisingly led to the doorway where no human had before entered. It was here Kaname felt he had to intervene.

Standing abruptly and pacing to where Kaien and the purebloods were headed, Kaname flashed a look of disapproval at Hakura and Juri.

Smiling at his protectiveness, something that Kaname found slightly condescending but ignored nonetheless, Juri intervened, understanding his want to keep that part of the house sacred, although unwilling to keep the occupant secret.

"Please wait here, Kaien," Juri asked as she walked silently into the hidden room.

She quickly returned with a baby cradled lovingly in her hands; tiny Yuuki was only a few months old. Tears misted in Juri's eyes, and for once she did not push them back, not in front of this man who knew more about her deepest wishes for both his race and hers, not for him who would help them pave the way for change.

"Kaien," she said, eyes tearing more at the sight of his compassionate gaze, "this is my daughter, Yuuki." Hakura went to stand beside her, his eyes on his precious daughter.

With a soft whimper, Yuuki's eyes opened, and when Juri stared into them she lost the rest of her composure.

"Kaien," she pleaded, stepping towards him, "this is my daughter._ My daughter_. I don't want raise her in this world of hate and violence." She sunk to the floor, clutching Yuuki to her chest. "Please, Kaien. For the sake of her; let my baby grow up in world where she will not have to fear."

It was the first time Cross Kaien had seen Yuuki Kuran. It would most certainly not be the last.

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	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight.

This segment is a bit of a hop, skip, and a jump forward, but as we near the end, I wanted to write about Yuuki's transformation and the events following without repeating the manga and anime overly much. I hope you enjoy this tribute in excerpts of the battle with Rido.

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Yuuki shuddered in the sunlight. _Is this what it means to be a vampire, a creature of the night? _The bright rays pierced her eyes like needles, and she backed away inadvertently.

The strange cravings, the burning in the back of her throat, the mystifying power that flowed through her body and shattered windows without a second thought . . . she was terrified of what she had become.

In addition to the vampiric events of the previous night, she still had a hard time believing that Kaname wanted _her_. That he had been _waiting_ for her. That she was, essentially, his and always had been. It wasn't something she had ever thought possible, or could have believed before last night. Even now, with her vampire fangs and suddenly absurdly long hair, Yuuki wasn't sure if she should believe it.

Especially because Kaname had left, and something . . . something was happening.

Although she could hear Aidou trampling the underbrush behind her to catch up, she couldn't have felt more alone.

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Kaname hadn't wanted to leave her so soon after her transformation, but events couldn't be helped - Rido was moving fast. He longed to go back to Yuuki, to forget Rido, forget his plans, and cradle her in his arms - just as when she had her childhood nightmares - as she shook with fear at her change.

The change he caused.

The fact that Rido's way would have killed her didn't make him feel much better.

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"Yuuki? Yuuki!" Yori felt dizzy from twirling her head right and left to find her roommate in the maze of day class students. "Have you seen Yuuki?" she asked girl, who barely had time to say no before Yori moved on. _Yuuki, where are you?_

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The night class nobles surrounded Yuuki, protecting her from attackers as she stood, frustrated and defenseless, behind them.

"Yuuki-sama, please stop being so reckless."

"Yuuki-sama, stay back."

"Yuuki-sama, watch out!"

"Yuuki-sama . . ."

"Yuuki-sama . . ."

"Yuuki-sama . . ."

How could they just change like that? How could they turn from treating her like a silly human to an honored princess in the space of just a few hours? How could she trust their abrupt, about-face attitude?

She didn't understand these new rules she was supposed to abide by, or the awed look on Aidou's face when she had cried earlier.

Why did things have to be different?

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Nails digging into the stone ground, he leaned his head back and gulped down air in an attempt to relieve the pain. Whatever presence had been slowly getting stronger suddenly erupted and the power pulsed over him, adding to the feeling of his own blood turning against him.

His bleary eyes stared unfocused at the gun not five feet away.

Zero wasn't sure he could last much longer.

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"No matter what happens, Yuuki, we'll always be friends."

"Y-Yori-chan . . ." Yuuki's lip trembled as she surged into her best friend's open arms. The girls squeezed each other tight before slowly drawing back, holding each other's gaze. Drawing up her courage, Yuuki nodded firmly before turning back Kaname.

He placed his hand on her head, "Come, Yuuki," and she allowed herself to be led away.

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_Right. Left. Right. Down. Forward. _

Kaien shrugged the tension from his shoulders and erased the sweat from his brow before the next vampire could strike.

A quick glance at the sound behind him found Yagari ready to join the fight, cigarette still lodged in his mouth.

"You're not too bad for a lazy school chairman," Yagari called out between gunshots, "I didn't think you still had it in you."

"I _will_ protect this Academy," Kaien's terse voice echoed between them.

Yagari smiled at his answer. It wasn't often he saw this side of his friend. "Hm," he nodded in agreement.

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Night fell. Yuuki ran up the stairs to the top of the building, following the trail of dust, blood, and bodies, her new senses telling her that yes, Rido was waiting for them. A sudden misstep from this information left her falling, prepared to land in an undignified heap, but the impact didn't come. She looked beside her to see Kain grasping her arm to steady her, and when she looked into his eyes in thanks, she saw not the honored reverence she had detested since first awakening as a vampire, but _respect._

"Yuuki-sama, are you alright?" Aidou asked, and although his tone was still worried, she realized for the first time that it was concern _for her_, not for what could happen to him, that made his ice-blue eyes widen.

"Yes, I'm fine," Yuuki brushed her skirt off and stood tall, "Let's go."

With a burst of energy, Yuuki led them out onto the rooftop to face Rido.

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_The council members' faces, frozen in shock before disappearing into dust, were easily forgettable. _

_He methodically moved from room to room, destroying all in his path with predetermined preciseness. _

Kaname paused to savor the silent moment when the council building was finally empty.

This, on the other hand, this was memorable.

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Yuuki paused in her furious struggling in Rido's grip when an image flashed across her mind. She was with Zero, who was lecturing her about anti-vampire weapons.

_"Intelligent weapons - weapons like ours - are dangerous. Don't let it mess with your mind - don't let it control you."_

She felt the tug from Artemis in the back of her mind, the one she had been blocking ever since that day. _Maybe Zero was wrong; maybe I _need_ to give Artemis full reign. Or maybe now that I'm a vampire, the rules are different, maybe Artemis won't control me like Zero thought it would._

Shaking herself back to reality, Yuuki's eyes flashed determinedly as she let go of the barrier she had long ago placed on Artemis.

She trembled at the indescribable feeling for a moment before it subsided, listened to the inarticulate yet understandable words Artemis spoke through her mind, and then . . . _power._

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Kaname smiled as he looked up at the blinding light shining from the rooftop, knowing it signified Artemis' transformation, as well as Yuuki's acceptance of the weapon.

Pride swelled up in him as he thought of all the challenges she had overcome in the past nights.

_It's almost over, Yuuki. _

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_I'm coming, Kaname. I'm coming._

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	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight.

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"So you remember," Kaien stated.

Yuuki glanced up at him, "Yes, I do." She sighed. "It's all bits and pieces and a little jumbled right now, but it's all there." Kaien's serious gaze matching her own, she added, "And . . . I remember you."

His mouth curved up into a smile, and she could have sworn his eyes were brighter than usual behind his glasses. "I remember when you came to visit me when I was young. You told me stories of the outside like Kaname-senpai did." She paused and blinked quickly, trying to remember more. "I think you were the only other person I ever met." She smiled back at him wistfully. "I'm so sorry I forgot you, Chairman."

"Ah, Yuuki," Kaien said wistfully, "I suppose Kaname was right about the timing of all this, but part of me wishes you could have been spared the change."

Yuuki lowered her eyes in partial understanding. The two exchanged a few more words before Yuuki rose to leave.

"You will always be a daughter to me, Yuuki." Kaien spoke gently as she walked to the door.

Yuuki turned back to look at him with a dazzling smile, hair curled at the ends swirling around her, eyes sparkling, and, for a moment, Kaien could have replaced her image with Juri's, the resemblance was so striking.

Yuuki noticed a change in his eyes.

"Chairman?" she questioned hesitantly, "Is - Is something wrong?"

Kaien laughed self-consciously and rubbed the back of his head.

"Of course not, Yuuki! Go on, now, the night is young!"

She hesitated.

"Okay then . . ."

The door clicked shut behind her and Kaien sunk down into his plush chair. He leaned back and his sharp eyes stared unseeing at the wall in front of him.

_Juri . . ._

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Thanks for reading! Please leave a note to let me know what you thought. :) Unfortunately, there will only be one more chapter for this little story - look for the last update in the next week or so!


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight.

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Curled up on the spacious window seat, Yuuki sat pondering her lot in life and wondered why everything was always so _complicated._ When she was younger - _and human, _her mind supplied - it was complex as well, dealing with the existence of supposedly mythical creatures, helping to protect their secret, and discovering the horror of Zero's own place in vampire society - or lack of it.

Double-checking that no one was around, she allowed herself an unladylike snort. Her younger self would have never dreamed of the intricacies that currently dominated her life. Not only was _she_ a vampire, a pureblood one at that, her beloved onee-sama was practically the oldest vampire in existence, and loved her with a passion she could never dream of matching.

And in addition to the hopeless task of matching his love, she found that her heart was split in two - one part always longing for someone other than Kaname.

. . . Zero.

A wry smirk and short, bitter laugh left her unintentionally. Did he know of the havoc he was creating in her life? Did he know about how immediately she felt a sense of incompleteness when drinking Kaname's blood? Did he know how much she tried to convince herself that _onee-sama is enough_ to no avail? How her heart ripped into a million pieces every time she drew back and looked in nearly-concealed despair at Kaname's pained and knowing and deep eyes? Did he?

Her hands clenched, bunching the blanket beneath her as her vision blurred and silent, unbidden tears raced down her cheeks, each falling with a near-silent _plop_ on her hand. She shuddered with the effort to contain them, but they only fell all the more. Sadness and despair overwhelmed her.

Tilting her head back against the wall, she willed the tears to stop.

With time her breaths evened and her tears fell more slowly as she calmed down. _Finally._ She let a heavy breath out in release and froze when she heard muffled but telltale steps coming closer.

Kaname silently pushed aside the curtain partially veiling her from the world and sat next to her feet on the bench.

She knew her face was splotchy and red from vain efforts to wipe the tears away, and her still-glazed eyes looked down in shame a second after meeting his.

Leaning over, Kaname reached out his hand and lifted her face.

"My love," he greeted her.

Yuuki's eyes filled again at his words and her recent meditations, and a quick blink was enough to make the tears tumble down her cheeks once more.

In an awkward shifting of legs and torso, Yuuki threw her arms around Kaname's waist as the emotions she had just bottled up came rushing back to the surface. _I'm sorry. I don't deserve you._ The words repeated over and over in her mind, but she couldn't catch her breath enough to let them out.

Ever perceptive, Kaname held her and said nothing, running his fingers through her long hair until her sobs subsided and she drifted off to sleep.

When her breathing finally evened out, Kaname slid his arms under Yuuki's limp body, gathering her to his chest. He made his way through the house, expertly avoiding the nobles, until he could place her sleeping form on their bed. Lying next to her, he contemplated his past and their future.

Long days and nights of planning, strategic maneuvers, making enemies he liked and friends he hated, and it all led up to this, to the small woman sleeping heedlessly beside him.

Later, Kaname asked himself if it was worth it, and his mind whispered a resounding_ Y__es_.

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_The End._

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Thank you to everyone who read, favorited or altered this story! And a very special thank you to all of you wonderful reviewers! Your thoughts, exclamations, and feedback have made this story a joy to write.

I hope you enjoyed this last bittersweet chapter. I wasn't planning on wrapping this up so soon, but with the current manga arc so unresolved and this story sticking fairly closely to cannon, I decided to end it here and see what happens next. Look for more VK stories from me in the future!


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